Integrated and/or modular high-speed aircraft

ABSTRACT

An integrated and/or modular high-speed aircraft and method of design and manufacture. The aircraft can have a supersonic or near-sonic cruise Mach number. In one embodiment, the aircraft can include an aft body integrated with a delta wing and a rearwardly tapering fuselage to define a smooth forward-to-rear area distribution. A propulsion system, including an engine, inlet, and exhaust nozzle can be integrated into the aft body to be at least partially hidden behind the wing. In one embodiment, the entrance of the inlet can be positioned beneath the wing, and the exit of the nozzle can be positioned at or above the wing. An S-shaped inlet duct can deliver air to the aft-mounted, integrated engine. The aircraft can include aft-mounted elevators, wing-mounted elevons, and forward-mounted canards for pitch control. The construction of the aircraft can be modular to take advantage of commonalties between near-sonic and supersonic structures.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] The present application claims priority to ProvisionalApplication Nos. 60/264,224 (attorney docket number 03004.8010US01) andNo. 601264,225 (attorney docket number 03004.8010US00), both filed Jan.19, 2001 and both incorporated herein in their entireties by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The disclosed embodiments relate to highly integrated and/ormodular high-speed aircraft configurations and methods for designing andmanufacturing such configurations.

BACKGROUND

[0003] One goal of the commercial air transport industry is to conveypassengers and cargo as quickly as possible from one point to another.Accordingly, many commercial transport aircraft operate at cruise Machnumbers of approximately 0.8-0.85. As the time constraints placed on aircarriers and their customers increase, it would be advantageous toeconomically transport passengers and cargo at higher speeds. However,aircraft flying at transonic or supersonic speeds (greater than aboutMach 0.85) have greater relative thrust requirements than comparablysized subsonic aircraft. To generate sufficient thrust at high altitudesand Mach numbers, while reducing the corresponding increase in drag,conventional transonic and supersonic aircraft include low bypass ratioturbofan engines or straight turbojet engines. Such configurationsgenerally have a high specific fuel consumption at cruise conditionsthat generally outweighs any inherent advantage in aerodynamicefficiency, resulting in a net fuel efficiency significantly lower thanthat of lower speed aircraft. The low fuel efficiency can also result inincreased atmospheric emissions.

[0004] Conventional transonic and supersonic aircraft generally operateat very high jet velocities to generate sufficient thrust for take-off,which can result in significant airport and community noise problems.One approach to reducing the noise is to lengthen the engine inlet andnozzle ducts, and to also integrate noise abatement treatments with theducts. One drawback with this approach is that such treatments generallyincrease the weight of the propulsion system, which can increase thewing structural loads and the susceptibility of the aircraft to wingflutter. If the wings are thickened to increase their weight capacity,the wave drag of the aircraft will also tend to increase. The increasedweight of the wings also increases the amount of fuel that must becarried by the aircraft, which in turn increases the weight of thestructure to support the fuel, which in turn requires still more fuel.Accordingly, it can be difficult to develop an effective, efficient,environmentally acceptable aircraft that operates at transonic and/orsupersonic Mach numbers.

[0005]FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate top isometric and bottom isometricviews, respectively, of a supersonic cruise aircraft 100 a in accordancewith the prior art. The aircraft 100 a can include a fuselage 102 a,delta wings 104 a, a propulsion system 106 a suspended from the wings104 a, and an aft-tailed pitch control arrangement 107. Alternatively,the aircraft 100 a can include a tail-less or canard pitch arrangement.In either configuration, the longitudinal distribution of the exposedcross-sectional area of the aircraft, and the longitudinal distributionof the planform area tend to dominate the transonic and supersonic wavedrag (i.e., the increase in drag experienced beyond about Mach 0.85 dueto air compressibility effects). Accordingly, the fuselage 102 a can belong, thin, and “area-ruled” to reduce the effects of wave drag atsupersonic speeds.

[0006] Area-ruling the fuselage 102 a can result in a fuselagemid-region that is narrower than the forward and aft portions of thefuselage (i.e., a “waisted” configuration). Waisting the fuselage cancompensate for the increased cross-sectional area resulting from thepresence of the wings 104 a and the propulsion system 106 a. Thepropulsion system 106 a can include four engine nacelle pods 108 amounted beneath the wing 104 a to minimize adverse aerodynamicinterference drag and to separate the rotating machinery of the enginesfrom the main wing spar and the fuel tanks located in the wing. Noisesuppressor nozzles 110 a are typically cantilevered well beyond atrailing edge 112 a of the wing 104 a, and can accordingly result inlarge cantilever loads on the wing 104 a.

[0007] FIGS. 1C-E illustrate a side view, plan view and fuselagecross-sectional view, respectively, of a configuration for a high-speedtransonic cruise transport aircraft 100 b having a fuselage 102 b, sweptwings 104 b, and engine nacelles 106 b suspended from the wings 104 b inaccordance with prior art. The fuselage 102 b has a significantlynarrowed or waisted portion proximate to a wing/body junction 105.Accordingly, the fuselage 102 b is configured to avoid or at leastreduce increased drag in a manner generally similar to that describedabove with reference to FIG. 1A and 1B. This configuration may sufferfrom several drawbacks, including increased structural weight, increasedrisk of flutter loads, and a reduced payload capacity. Theconfigurations shown in FIGS. 1A-1E can be structurally inefficient andcan have reduced payload capacities as a result of the fuselage waistingrequired to reduce transonic and supersonic drag

SUMMARY

[0008] The present invention is directed toward high-speed aircraft andmethods for aircraft manufacture. In one aspect of the invention, theaircraft can include a fuselage portion configured to carry a payload,and a wing portion depending from the fuselage portion. The wing portioncan have a forward region with a leading edge, an aft region with atrailing edge, an upper surface, and a lower surface. The aircraft canfurther include a propulsion system at least proximate to the aft regionof the wing portion, with at least part of the propulsion systempositioned between the upper and lower surfaces of the wing portion. Thepropulsion system can include at least one inlet aperture positionedbeneath the wing portion lower surface or above the wing portion uppersurface, and at least one engine positioned aft of and vertically offsetfrom, the at least one inlet aperture. The propulsion can furtherinclude at least one exhaust nozzle aft of the at least one engine. In afurther aspect of the invention, the aircraft can further include atleast one canard depending from the fuselage portion forward of thepropulsion system. In another aspect of the invention, the fuselageportion can be elongated along a fuselage axis and the aircraft caninclude a pitch control surface having an aft trailing edge positionedinboard of the exhaust nozzle between the exhaust nozzle and thefuselage axis.

[0009] In still a further aspect of the invention, the propulsion systemcan include a rearwardly curving S-shaped duct between the inletaperture and the engine. The aircraft can be configured to operate at asustained cruise Mach number of from about 0.95 to about 0.99, or,alternatively, the aircraft can be configured to operate at a sustainedcruise Mach number of from about 1.5 to about 3.0. The fuselage portioncan include a forward region, an aft region adjacent to the propulsionsystem, and an intermediate region forward of the propulsion systembetween the forward and aft regions. The fuselage portion can tapercontinuously from the intermediate region to the aft region.

[0010] The invention is also directed to a modular aircraft system thatcan include a fuselage portion having a payload section, and aswept-wing portion depending from the fuselage portion and having anupper surface and a lower surface. The aircraft system can furtherinclude first and second nose portions interchangeably positionable onthe fuselage portion, with the first nose portion being configured forsubsonic flight up to about Mach 0.99 and the second nose portion beingconfigured for supersonic flight. The system can further include firstand second nacelles interchangeably coupleable to an aft part of thewing portion, with the first nacelle being configured for subsonicflight up to about Mach 0.99 and the second nacelle being configured forsupersonic flight.

[0011] The invention is still further directed to a method formanufacturing an aircraft. In one aspect of the invention, the methodcan include attaching a wing portion to a fuselage portion with the wingportion having a forward region with a leading edge, an aft region witha trailing edge, an upper surface and a lower surface. The fuselageportion can be configured to carry a payload and can be elongated alonga fuselage axis. The method can further include coupling a propulsionsystem to the wing portion by mounting the propulsion system to the aftregion of the wing portion and positioning at least part of thepropulsion system between the upper and lower surfaces of the wingportion. The propulsion system can include at least one inlet aperturepositioned beneath the lower surface of the wing portion or above theupper surface of the wing portion, with the propulsion system furtherincluding at least one turbofan engine positioned aft and verticallyoffset from the at least one inlet aperture. The propulsion system canfurther include at least one exhaust nozzle aft of the at least oneengine, and a generally S-shaped duct between the at least one engineand the at least one inlet aperture. The method can still furtherinclude positioning a pitch control surface between the propulsionsystem and the fuselage axis, or attaching a canard to the fuselageportion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012]FIG. 1A and 1B illustrate a supersonic transport aircraftconfiguration having a narrowed fuselage in accordance with the priorart.

[0013]FIG. 1C-E illustrate a subsonic/transonic transport aircrafthaving a narrowed fuselage in accordance with the prior art.

[0014]FIG. 2 is a partially schematic, side isometric view of asupersonic transport aircraft having an integrated propulsion system andaft body in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

[0015]FIG. 3 is a partially schematic, rear isometric view of anaircraft generally similar to that shown in FIG. 2 in accordance with anembodiment of the invention.

[0016] FIGS. 4A-C are partially schematic, top, front, and side views,respectively, of an aircraft generally similar to that shown in FIG. 2in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

[0017]FIG. 5 is a partially schematic, cross-sectional side elevationalview of a propulsion system integrated with an aircraft aft body inaccordance with an embodiment of the invention.

[0018]FIG. 6A is a plot illustrating the total cross-sectional area andcross-sectional area of selected components of an aircraft having anintegrated propulsion system in accordance with an embodiment of theinvention.

[0019]FIG. 6B illustrates a comparison of waisted and non-waistedfuselage configurations in accordance with an embodiment of theinvention.

[0020]FIG. 6C illustrates alternative non-waisted passenger seatingarrangements in accordance with other embodiments of the invention.

[0021]FIG. 7 illustrates a comparison of predicted take-off grossweights and noise levels corresponding to aircraft in accordance withembodiments of the invention.

[0022]FIG. 8 is a partially schematic, top isometric view of an aftportion of a high-speed aircraft configuration having outwardly cantedtails in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

[0023]FIG. 9 is a partially schematic, top isometric view of an aftportion of a high-speed aircraft configuration having inwardly cantedtails in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

[0024]FIG. 10 is a partially schematic, top plan view of a high-speedtransport aircraft having an integrated aft-mounted propulsion system inaccordance with another embodiment of the invention, superimposed on anaircraft having a non-integrated propulsion system.

[0025] FIGS. 11A-C are partially schematic, cross-sectional sideelevational views of a high-speed aircraft aft body and nozzle inaccordance with another embodiment of the invention.

[0026]FIG. 12 is a partially schematic, front right isometric view of anear-sonic transport aircraft in accordance with an embodiment of theinvention.

[0027]FIG. 13 is a partially schematic, front left isometric view of thenear-sonic transport aircraft shown in FIG. 12 in accordance with anembodiment of the invention.

[0028]FIG. 14 is a table listing representative data for a near-sonictransport aircraft in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

[0029] FIGS. 15A-C are partially schematic, top, front, and side viewsof a near-sonic transport aircraft generally similar to that shown inFIGS. 12 and 13 in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

[0030] FIGS. 15D-F are partially schematic top, front, and side views ofa near-sonic transport aircraft in accordance with another embodiment ofthe invention.

[0031]FIG. 16A illustrates data comparing predicted block times forconventional subsonic aircraft and a near-sonic transport aircraft inaccordance with an embodiment of the invention.

[0032]FIG. 16B illustrates data comparing predicted ranges forconventional subsonic aircraft and a near-sonic transport aircraft inaccordance with an embodiment of the invention.

[0033]FIG. 17A is a partially schematic, isometric view of a near-sonicaircraft in accordance with another embodiment of the invention.

[0034]FIG. 17B is a partially schematic rear isometric view of asupersonic business jet having a propulsion system integrated with anaft body in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

[0035]FIG. 18 is a partially schematic illustration of an aft portion ofan aircraft having an integrated propulsion system with inletspositioned above the wing in accordance with another embodiment of theinvention.

[0036]FIG. 19 is a partially schematic, isometric view of a near-sonictransport aircraft having an integrated propulsion system with inletspositioned above the wing in accordance with yet another embodiment ofthe invention.

[0037] FIGS. 20A-G are partially schematic illustrations of inletconfigurations for near-sonic or supersonic aircraft in accordance withfurther embodiments of the invention.

[0038]FIG. 21 is a partially schematic, top isometric view of a nacelleintegrated with an aircraft aft body and having inlet suck-in doors inaccordance with another embodiment of the invention.

[0039]FIG. 22 is a partially schematic, top isometric view of anaircraft aft body configured to include one or three integrated nacellesin accordance with another embodiment of the invention.

[0040]FIG. 23 is a partially schematic, top isometric view of anaircraft aft body having tails mounted on booms in accordance withanother embodiment of the invention.

[0041]FIG. 24 is a partially schematic, top plan view of a modularaircraft for operation at near-sonic or supersonic cruise Mach numbersin accordance with still another embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] The following description provides specific details for athorough understanding of, and enabling description for, embodiments ofthe invention.

[0043] However, one skilled in the art will understand that theinvention may be practiced without certain of these details. In someinstances, well-known structures and functions have not been shown ordescribed in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the description ofthe embodiments of the invention.

[0044] In the drawings, identical reference numbers identify identicalor substantially similar elements. To easily identify the discussion ofany particular element, the most significant digit or digits in areference number refer to the Figure number in which that element isfirst introduced (e.g. element 1202 is first introduced and discussedwith reference to FIG. 12). Dimensions, angles and other specificationsshown in the Figures are representative of particular embodiments of theinvention. As such, configurations in accordance with other embodimentscan have other specifications.

[0045] FIGS. 2-11C and the related description refer to supersonicaircraft having aft-mounted, integrated propulsion systems in accordancewith embodiments of the invention. FIGS. 12-17A and the relateddescription refer to near-sonic aircraft having aft-mounted, integratedpropulsion systems in accordance with further embodiments of theinvention. FIG. 17B and the related description refer generally tosupersonic business jets having aft-mounted, integrated propulsionsystems in accordance with still further embodiments of the invention.FIGS. 18-23 and the related description refer to components ofintegrated propulsion systems in accordance with still furtherembodiments of the invention. FIG. 24 and the related description referto modular aircraft configurations in accordance with yet furtherembodiments of the invention.

[0046]FIG. 2 is a partially schematic isometric view of a supersonicaircraft 200 having an integrated propulsion system and aft body inaccordance with an embodiment of the invention. In one embodiment, theaircraft 200 can be configured to transport about 300 passengers at acruise Mach number of about 2.4. In other embodiments, the aircraft 200can have other payload capacities and other cruise Mach numbers, forexample, a cruise Mach number of from about 1.5 to about 3.0.

[0047]FIG. 3 is a partially schematic, top isometric view of an aircraft200 generally similar to that shown in FIG. 2 but having a shortenedfuselage 202. FIGS. 4A-C illustrate partially schematic, top, front, andside elevational views, respectively, of an aircraft 200 generallysimilar to that shown in FIG. 2. Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4A-C, anembodiment of the aircraft 200 can include the fuselage 202 (elongatedalong a fuselage axis 203), a delta wing 204, and a propulsion system206 integrated with an aft body 214. In one aspect of this embodiment(shown in FIG. 4B), the fuselage 202 can have a generally ellipticalcross-sectional shape to more readily accommodate a twin-aisle seatingconfiguration. In other embodiments, the fuselage 202 can have othershapes, such as a circular cross-sectional shape. In either embodiment,the fuselage 202 can taper continuously from a mid region to an aftregion to improve the drag characteristics of the aircraft 200, asdescribed in greater detail below. The wing 204 can have a generallydelta-shaped configuration, such as a triple-delta configuration shownin FIGS. 3 and 4A. Alternatively, the wing 204 can have a single ordouble-delta configuration, or a continuously curved ogive or ogeeconfiguration. The aircraft can further include forward-mounted, cantedcanards 228 and vertical tails 230. In other embodiments, the tails canhave other configurations, as will be described in greater detail belowwith reference to FIGS. 8 and 9.

[0048] Referring now to FIG. 4A-C, the propulsion system 206 can includeengines 216 (FIG. 4A) positioned in relatively long nacelles 218 (FIG.4C). In one aspect of this embodiment, each nacelle 218 can include aninlet 220 having an inlet aperture 223 positioned below a lower surface237 of the wing 204 and an S-shaped inlet duct 221 coupling the inletaperture 223 with the engine 216. The nacelles 218 can further includeexhaust ducts or nozzles 222 positioned at or above the wing 204. Inalternative embodiments, the inlet aperture 223 can be positioned abovethe wing 204, as described in greater detail below with reference toFIGS. 18 and 19. In a further aspect of an embodiment shown in FIGS.4A-C, the inlets 220 and the exhaust nozzles 222 can be positioned wellaft of conventional wing-mounted locations. For example, the inlet 220can be positioned aft of the 30% wing chord location. The exhaustnozzles 222 can be positioned well aft of a trailing edge 224 (FIG. 4A)of the wing 204, and near or above the chord line of the wing at thetrailing edge 224. The engines 216 can be positioned behind a main wingbox 226, and can extend aft of the wing trailing edge 224 as describedin greater detail below with reference to FIG. 5.

[0049]FIG. 5 is a partially schematic, cross-sectional side elevationalview of a rear portion of the aircraft 200 taken generally along line5-5 of FIG. 4A. As shown in FIG. 5, the maximum cross-sectional area ofthe nacelle 218 can be positioned behind the main wing box 226 so thatthe nacelle 218 is at least partially hidden behind the front of thewing 204. At least a portion of the nacelle 218 and any rotatingcomponents of the engine 216 can also be positioned aft of the payloador cabin region 232 of the aircraft 200. For example, the rotatingcomponents of the engine (e.g., the fan blades, compressor blades, andturbine blades) can be positioned aft of the pressurized portion of thefuselage 202 to reduce the likelihood for cabin depressurization in theevent that the rotating components fail. The rotating components of theengine 216 can also be positioned aft of any fuel in the wing 204 toreduce the likelihood for fire in the event the rotating componentsfail. In either embodiment, the engine 216 can be canted slightlydownwardly as shown in FIG. 5 or, alternatively, the engine 216 can beapproximately horizontal. In still another embodiment (for example, whenthe inlet is mounted above the wing, as described below with referenceto FIGS. 18 and 19), the engine 216 can be canted upwardly.

[0050] In one aspect of an embodiment shown in FIG. 5, landing gear 234can be stowed toward the rear of the cabin region 232 and forward of thenacelle 218. In a further aspect of this embodiment, a landing gearfairing 235 can be positioned to house the landing gear 234, and can belocated in a region where the fuselage 202 is tapering, forward of thenacelle 218. Another fairing 236 can smoothly blend the upper portion ofthe nacelle 218 with an upper surface 238 of the wing 204.

[0051] In one aspect of this embodiment, the increase in thecross-sectional area created by the nacelle 218 (and, in one embodiment,the landing gear fairing 235) can coincide with a decrease in thecross-sectional area of the fuselage 202 to form a smooth total areadistribution having a low net frontal area. Accordingly, thisconfiguration can reduce the potential for a significant drag rise atnear-sonic speeds when compared with configurations having otherpropulsion system locations.

[0052]FIG. 6A illustrates an example of an area distributioncorresponding to a configuration in accordance with an embodiment of theinvention. The area distribution of the combined wing and body, and(toward the aft portion of the aircraft), the combined wing, body andnacelle, form a smoothly varying function that can significantly reducethe impact of wave drag at near-sonic and supersonic speeds.

[0053]FIG. 6B illustrates a seating arrangement for the fuselage 202 inaccordance with an embodiment of the invention. For purposes ofcomparison, FIG. 6B also illustrates a fuselage 202 a havingapproximately the same seating capacity but in a waisted configuration.FIG. 6C illustrates two further embodiments of fuselages 202 b and 202 chaving non-waisted configurations.

[0054] Returning now to FIG. 4A, the aft body 214 of the aircraft 200can include flat regions or “beaver tails” 240 inboard of each exhaustnozzle 222. The flat regions 240 can provide structural support for thenacelles 218 and can form an integral horizontal stabilizer. The flatregions 240 can be integrated with the aft body 214 and can generate aportion of the total airplane lift, which can react against a portion ofthe static weight and inertial load of the engines 216. The aft body 214can further include movable elevator surfaces 242 that can be used incombination with outboard wing elevons 244 and the canards 228 toprovide longitudinal (i.e., pitch axis) trim and control functions.

[0055] In one aspect of this embodiment, the use of three surfaces (theelevators 242, the elevons 244 and the canards 228) can allow operationover a wide range of center-of-gravity conditions that can otherwise bedifficult or impracticable to accommodate on configurations havinglarge, heavy engines mounted toward the rear of the aircraft. In afurther aspect of this embodiment, the canards 228, the elevons 244 andthe elevators 242 can be simultaneously deflected to produce lift on allthree surfaces and lift the center of gravity of the aircraft 200. Inanother embodiment, the elevators 242 can be integrated with the exhaustnozzles 222 to provide for thrust vectoring, described in greater detailbelow with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11A-C. In yet another embodiment,the canards 228 can be eliminated, for example, when the elevons 244 andthe elevators 242 produce adequate pitch control. Such a configurationmay be suitable for an aircraft configured as a tanker, a bomber, abusiness jet or another aircraft type for which the shift of the centerof gravity during flight or between flights is limited.

[0056] In one aspect of an embodiment of the aircraft 200, the tails 230can be vertical and can be mounted on the same structural members thatsupport the engines 216, at approximately the same buttockline as theengines 216. Accordingly, the overall weight of the aircraft 200 can bereduced when compared with configurations having separate supportstructures for the engines and the tails. Alternatively, a single tailcan be mounted directly to the fuselage 202 proximate to the aft body214. In either embodiment, the tails 230 can be allmoving, oralternatively, the tails 230 can include a fixed portion with a moveablerudder.

[0057] One feature of an embodiment of the aircraft 200 described abovewith reference to FIGS. 2-6C is that by integrating the propulsionsystem 206 with the aft body 214, the effect on the cross-sectional areaof the fuselage 202 can be reduced when compared with other engineinstallation configurations. Accordingly, the fuselage 202 need not benarrowed at its center, which can have an adverse effect on payloadcapacity, structural characteristics and sonic boom characteristics.

[0058] Another advantage of an embodiment of the aircraft 200 describedabove with reference to FIGS. 2-6C is that the overall length of thepropulsion system 206 can be increased relative to other configurations,without adversely affecting the area ruling described above and withoutsubstantially increasing the cantilever loads aft of the wing trailingedge 224. Accordingly, both the inlets 220 and the nozzles 222 can betreated with acoustic panels or other noise-reduction devices to reducethe environmental impact of noise generated by the aircraft 200. Forexample, FIG. 7 illustrates predicted data for aircraft of the typedescribed above with reference to FIGS. 2-6C, comparing noise levels foraircraft with and without aft-mounted integrated propulsion systems.Both aircraft are configured to carry 300 passengers for 5,500 nauticalmiles at approximately the same supersonic cruise Mach number. As shownin FIG. 7, an aircraft having no aft-mounted, integrated propulsionsystem increases in maximum take-off weight from 753,500 pounds to796,800 pounds when the noise level at throttle cutback (after takeoff)is reduced from 5 dB to 7 dB below FAR Part 36 Stage III noise rules.Conversely, an aircraft having an aft-mounted, integrated propulsionsystem increases in weight from 652,109 pounds to 672,411 pounds toreach a noise level of 10 dB below the noise rules at cutback, and 6 dBbelow the noise rules for sideline (end of runway at takeoff) noiselevels. Accordingly, an aircraft having an integrated propulsionconfiguration in accordance with an embodiment of the invention (a) canhave a lower take-off gross weight than other configurations, and (b)can be more robust than other configurations from a noise standpointbecause noise levels can be reduced by a greater margin withoutresulting in as great an increase in aircraft weight.

[0059] Still another feature of an embodiment of the aircraft 200described above with reference to FIGS. 2-6C is that at least a portionof the nacelle 218 is “hidden” behind the projected frontal area of thewing 204 and integrated with the wing 204. Accordingly, the aircraft 200can accommodate engines 216 having a larger diameter (for higher thrustand/or a higher engine bypass ratio) than non-integrated configurations,without a significant aerodynamic penalty. Furthermore, integrating thenacelles 218 can reduce the exposed wetted area of the nacelles 218 andaccordingly, the overall skin friction of the aircraft. Still further,the S-shape of the inlet duct 221 can shield the region external to theaircraft from forward-propagating noise generated by the engine fanand/or other engine components.

[0060] Another feature of integrating the nacelle 218 with the aircraftwing 204 and aft body 214 is that this arrangement can more efficientlysupport the engines 216. For example, the engines 216 need not becantilevered or suspended beneath the wing 204, and the nozzle 222 canbe integrated with the aft body 214, rather than being cantileveredbehind the wing 204. As described above, one advantage of this featureis that the nozzle 222 can be made longer (allowing for increasedacoustic treatment) without substantially increasing the structuralloads generated by the nozzle. For example, in one embodiment, thenozzle 222 can be lengthened by about 150 inches compared toarrangements having underslung wing-mounted nacelles.

[0061] Still another feature of an embodiment of the aircraft 200described above with reference to FIGS. 2-6C is that it can include aflat pitch control region or “beaver tail” 240 at the aft body 214. Oneadvantage of the flat region 240 is that it can increase the overallchord length of the inboard wing, thereby reducing thethickness-to-chord ratio (and accordingly, reducing drag), or allowingfor an increased wing box depth. Another advantage is that the flatportion 240 can distribute a portion of the aerodynamic lift over theaft body and thereby reduce the wing box structural load. Still anotheradvantage of the aft flat region 240 is that it can, in combination witha delta wing planform shape, reduce or delay high angle of attackpitch-up instability problems when compared to other configurationslacking this feature.

[0062] Yet another feature of an embodiment of the aircraft 200described above with reference to FIGS. 2-6C is that the delta wingplanform shape can create sufficient lift to reduce or eliminate theneed for lift enhancing devices, such as leading and/or trailing edgeslotted and/or unslotted flaps. Accordingly, the mechanical complexityof the wing can be reduced when compared with conventionalconfigurations.

[0063] Still another feature of an embodiment of the aircraft describedabove with reference to FIGS. 2-6C is that the fuselage 202 need not bewaisted or reduced in cross-sectional area to accommodate the presenceof the wing 204 and/or the propulsion system 206. Accordingly, ashorter, larger diameter fuselage can be used to enclose the same numberof passenger seats. The shorter fuselage can reduce the overall weightof the aircraft and can improve the ride quality of the aircraft,compared with aircraft having longer (and more flexible) fuselages.

[0064] In other embodiments, the aircraft 200 can have featuresdifferent than those described above with reference to FIGS. 2-6C. Forexample, the inlet aperture 223 can have a generally elliptical shape(as shown in FIG. 4B) or, alternatively, the inlet aperture 223 can haveother shapes and configurations, such as those described in greaterdetail below with reference to FIGS. 20A-20G. In some embodiments, itmay be advantageous to reduce the height-to-width ratio of the inletaperture 223 so as to more completely integrate the inlet with theaircraft. Each inlet 220 can provide air to a single engine, oralternatively, each inlet 220 can provide air to multiple engines, asdescribed in greater detail below with reference to FIG. 10. The inlets220 can have moveable internal surfaces for supersonic applications or,alternatively, the inlets can have a fixed geometry, for example, wheninstalled in subsonic aircraft, such as those described below withreference to FIGS. 12-17A.

[0065] The exhaust nozzle 222 can have an ejector-suppressorconfiguration with fixed or variable geometry, and can have a generallyround, rectangular or other shape. In one embodiment, the nozzle 222 caninclude a jet blade ejector nozzle configured for increased noisesuppression and described in greater detail in pending U.S. applicationSer. No. 09/671,870, filed Sep. 27, 2000, and incorporated herein in itsentirety by reference. In other embodiments, the nozzle 222 can providethrust vectoring, as described in greater detail below with reference toFIGS. 10 and 11A-C. In one embodiment, the wing can have a leading edgesweep angle of from about 28 degrees to about 38 degrees outboard of thenacelles 218 and a sweep angle of from about 45 degrees to about 75degrees or more inboard of the nacelles 218. In other embodiments, thewing sweep can have other values.

[0066] In still further embodiments, the aircraft can have still furtherconfigurations. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, an aircraft 800 inaccordance with an embodiment of the invention can have an integratedaft body 814 generally similar to the aft body 214 described above withreference to FIGS. 2-6C. The aircraft 800 can also include tails 830that are canted outwardly. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 9, theaircraft 800 can include an aft body 814 having inwardly canted tails930. The particular configuration chosen for the tails can depend uponthe aerodynamic and control characteristics of other features of theaircraft.

[0067]FIG. 10 is a partially schematic top plan view of an aircraft 1000having integrated nacelles 1018 and an aft body 1014 in accordance withanother embodiment of the invention. For purposes of illustration, theplan view of the aircraft 1000 is superimposed on a plan view of anaircraft 100 a (generally similar to that shown in FIG. 1A) having anonintegrated propulsion system. In one aspect of the embodiment shownin FIG. 10, the aircraft 1000 can include a fuselage 1002, a wing 1004,and two nacelles 1018, with each nacelle 1018 having an inlet 1020mounted beneath the fuselage 1002 and/or the wing 1004. Each inlet 1020can provide air to two engines 1016. In a further aspect of thisembodiment, the aircraft 1000 can include nozzles 1022 proximate to anupper surface of the aft body 1014. Elevons 1042 are positioned at theaft portion of the nozzles 1022 to vector the thrust produced by theengines 1016. For example, as shown in a partially schematiccross-sectional view in FIG. 11A, an elevon 1042 can be positioneddirectly aft of the engine 1016 and beneath an upstream nozzle upperflap 1043. The positions of the elevon 1042 and upper flap 1043 can beadjusted to control the area of an upstream nozzle throat 1045,depending upon the speed of the aircraft. The setting shown in FIG. 11Acan correspond to a typical supersonic cruise condition. The settingshown in FIG. 11C can correspond to a typical subsonic cruise condition(with optional ejector flow), and the setting shown in FIG. 11B cancorrespond to a typical take-off condition. In other embodiments, thenozzle 1022 can have other vectoring configurations. For example, theupper flap 1043 can be extended aft to provide additional thrustvectoring. In another alternate configuration, thrust vectoring can beprovided in the yaw and/or roll directions, as well as in the pitchplane.

[0068]FIG. 12 is a partially schematic, front right isometric view of anear-sonic aircraft 1200 having an aft-mounted, integrated propulsionsystem in accordance with another embodiment of the invention. FIG. 13illustrates a left front side isometric view of the aircraft shown inFIG. 12. FIG. 14 is a table of dimensional data representative of anembodiment of the aircraft 1200 shown in FIGS. 12 and 13. FIGS. 15A-Cillustrate a plan view, side view and front view, respectively, of anembodiment of the aircraft 1200 generally similar to that shown in FIGS.12 and 13. Referring now to FIGS. 12-15C, the aircraft 1200 can includea fuselage 1202, a wing 1204 and nacelles 1218 integrated with an aftbody 1214 in a manner generally similar to that described above withreference to FIGS. 2-6C. Accordingly, (referring now to FIG. 15C), eachnacelle 1218 can include an inlet 1220 having an inlet aperture 1223mounted beneath the wing 1204, an engine 1216 aft of the inlet 1220, andan exhaust nozzle 1222 that extends above an upper surface 1238 of thewing. The aircraft 1200 can further include tails 1230 that are cantedslightly inwardly, as shown in FIG. 15B. Alternatively, the tails can becanted outwardly or positioned vertically in other embodiments. Theaircraft 1200 can further include canards 1228 that, in cooperation withelevators 1242 and elevons 1244, can control the pitch attitude of theaircraft in a manner generally similar to that described above withreference to FIGS. 2-6C.

[0069] FIGS. 15D-F illustrate top, front, and side views, respectively,of a near-sonic aircraft 1200 having some features that differ fromthose shown in FIGS. 15A-C. The configuration of FIGS. 15A-C is shown indashed lines in FIGS. 15D-F for purposes of comparison. The aircraft1200 shown in FIGS. 15D-F can have a fuselage 1202 a that is lengthenedrelative to the fuselage 1202 shown in FIGS. 15A-C. In one aspect ofthis embodiment, the fuselage 1202 a can have a constant cross-sectionalarea plug to achieve the increased length. The aircraft 1200 shown inFIGS. 15D-F can include inlets 1220 a that are swept in side view andmore rectangular than the inlets 1220, and nacelles 1218 a that arelengthened relative to the nacelles 1218 to accommodate mixed-flownozzles. An aft body 1214 a of the aircraft 1200 can have a slightinflection and can be smoothly and continuously blended with a landinggear fairing 1235 a. The wing 1204 a can have a slightly different tipshape, and can include strakes 1206 a that are more highly swept andshorter in a span-wise direction than the corresponding portions of thewing 1204 shown in FIGS. 15A-C. The aircraft 1200 shown in FIGS. 15D-Fcan include a nose 1205 a that is more drooped and pointier than thecorresponding structure shown in FIGS. 15A-C. The canard 1228 a andtails 1230 a shown in FIGS. 15D-F can have a lower sweep angle, loweraspect ratio, and larger size when compared to the correspondingstructures shown in FIG. 15A-C. In other embodiments, the aircraft 1200can have features and elements with other sizes, shapes andconfigurations.

[0070] In one aspect of the embodiments shown in FIGS. 12-15F, theaircraft 1200 can have a cruise speed of near-sonic velocities. Forexample, the cruise speed can be from about Mach 0.85 to about Mach 0.99in one embodiment and, in one specific aspect of this embodiment, thecruise speed can be from Mach 0.95 to 0.98. The aircraft 1200 can have alength of about 250 feet and can be configured to carry from about 210to about 260 passengers over a range of from about 5,000 nautical milesto about 11,000 nautical miles. In other embodiments, the aircraft 1200can have a length of up to 350 feet or more to carry up to 500 or morepassengers over the same range. In still further embodiments, theaircraft can have a shorter range, for example, from about 2,000nautical miles to about 5,000 nautical miles.

[0071] In one embodiment, the near-sonic aircraft 1200 can include manyof the features described above with reference to the supersonicaircraft 200. Accordingly, the aircraft 1200 can realize many or all ofthe benefits described above with reference to FIGS. 2-6C. For example,the fuselage 1202 of the aircraft can be tapered at its aft region toprovide for a uniform overall area distribution, when combined with theintegrated aft body 1214. The nacelles 1218 and the engines 1216 can beat least partially hidden by the wing 1204, as described above. The aftintegration of the engines 1216 can provide for more efficientstructural support of the nacelles 1218 and increased inlet and nozzleduct lengths, which can accommodate increased noise treatment. Thenacelles 1218 can accommodate engines 1216 having bypass ratios greaterthan 1.0, for example, from about 5 to about 7 or 9, or other bypassratios typical of subsonic cruise transport aircraft. The engines 1216can produce thrust levels that are dependent on the aircraftconfiguration. For example, the thrust levels can be from about 75,000pounds to abut 100,000 pounds in one embodiment. As described above withreference to FIGS. 2-6C, the aerodynamic fineness ratio of the inboardwing can be improved (or the wing box depth increased) and high liftsystems, such as complex leading and trailing edge flap and slot systemscan be reduced and/or eliminated. The delta wing 1204 and the aft body1214 can be integrated to reduce or delay high angle of attack pitch-upinstability problems.

[0072] Still a further advantage of embodiments of the aircraft 1200described above with reference to FIGS. 12-15F is that it can be moreefficient and economical than conventional subsonic transports. Forexample, FIG. 16A graphically illustrates the range and block time for aconfiguration in accordance with an embodiment of the invention,compared with two conventional configurations. As used herein, blocktime refers to the time interval between the removal of wheel blocksprior to aircraft pushback for take-off, and the placement of blocksafter landing. FIG. 16A compares the predicted block time for an 8,500nautical mile trip performed by an aircraft in accordance with anembodiment of the invention (indicated by letter “A”), relative to twoconventional subsonic transport aircraft (labeled “B” and “C”).Predictions for an aircraft in accordance with an embodiment of theinvention indicate up to a 15% reduction in block time when compared toconventional, subsonic cruise transport aircraft. In other embodiments,the reduction can have other values. In either embodiment, the reductioncan translate to a proportional decrease in cash airplane-relatedoperating costs (CAROC) such as crew costs, fuel costs, etc.

[0073]FIG. 16B illustrates the predicted range (indicated by letter “A”)of an aircraft in accordance with an embodiment of the invention,compared to the range for two conventional subsonic transport aircraft(indicated by letters “B” and “C”). As shown in FIG. 16B, for a fixed16-hour block time, an aircraft in accordance with an embodiment of theinvention can have a range of up to 15% greater than conventionalsubsonic transport aircraft. In alternate embodiments, the aircraft canhave other ranges. For example, in one embodiment, the aircraft can beconfigured to transport from about 200 to about 300 passengers up toabout 11,000 nautical miles. An advantage of such a configuration isthat the aircraft can fly anywhere in the world, non-stop, in less than20 hours flying time.

[0074] In still further embodiments, an aircraft having an aft-mounted,integrated propulsion system can have other configurations. For example,FIG. 17A illustrates a right rear isometric view of aircraft 1200 agenerally similar to the aircraft 1200 described above with reference toFIGS. 12-15C, but having a smaller payload and a fuselage 1202 a thatterminates forward of the trailing edge of an aft body 1214 a. FIG. 17Bis a partially schematic rear isometric view of a supersonic businessjet 1700 having a fuselage 1702 configured to carry about 10 passengers,a wing 1704, canards 1728, and tails 1730. The aircraft 1700 can furtherinclude two engine nacelles 1718, each housing one engine (not visiblein FIG. 17B) and integrated into an aft body 1714 in a manner generallysimilar to that described above with reference to the larger supersoniccommercial transports and near-sonic commercial transports. Accordingly,embodiments of smaller aircraft, such as the near-sonic aircraft 1200 aand the supersonic business jet 1700 can include many of the features(and can realize all or many of the advantages) described above withreference to the foregoing configurations.

[0075] In yet further embodiments, the aircraft can have additionalconfigurations. For example, the aircraft can have any payload capacityranging from that of a small, medium, or large-sized business jet up toa passenger capacity of 500 seats or more. In other embodiments, theaircraft can be configured for fighter, ground attack, or long-rangebombing or reconnaissance missions. The aircraft can have a sustainedcruise Mach number of from about 0.9 up to about Mach 2.7 or higher. Theaircraft can be configured to include one, two, three, or four primaryengines, or other numbers of primary engines in alternate embodiments.As used herein, primary engines are distinguished from auxiliaryengines, such as APUs.

[0076]FIG. 18 is a partially schematic, cross-sectional side elevationalview of an aft portion of an aircraft 1800 having a fuselage 1802, awing 1804, and a nacelle 1818 integrated with the wing 1804 inaccordance with another embodiment of the invention. In one aspect ofthis embodiment, the nacelle 1818 includes an inlet 1820 having an inletaperture 1823 positioned above an upper surface 1838 of the wing 1804.In a further aspect of this embodiment, the inlet aperture 1823 can beoffset from the wing upper surface 1838 to reduce the likelihood ofingesting boundary layer air developed over the forward surface of thewing 1804. Alternatively, the inlet aperture 1823 can be mounted flushwith the wing upper surface 1838, and the wing upper surface 1838 and/orthe inlet 1820 can include a boundary layer control system, such as ableed system. In either embodiment, the inlet 1820 can further include agenerally S-shaped inlet duct 1821 coupling the inlet aperture 1823 withan engine 1816. Accordingly, at least a portion of the engine 1816 canbe positioned between the upper surface 1838 and a lower surface 1837 ofthe wing 1804.

[0077] One advantage of mounting the inlet aperture 1823 above the wing1804 rather than beneath the wing 1804 is that the inlet aperture 1823can be less likely to ingest foreign matter lofted by the landing gear(not shown in FIG. 18), for example during take-off or landing.Conversely, an advantage of positioning the inlet aperture 1823 beneaththe wing lower surface (as described above with reference to FIGS.2-17B) is that the flow entering the inlet is less likely to beseparated from the wing surface at high angles of attack. In eitherembodiment, positioning the nacelle toward the aft portion of the wing,and at least partially burying the nacelle in the wing can produce allor many of the advantages described above with reference to FIGS. 2-17B.Furthermore, an embodiment of the aircraft 1800 shown in FIG. 18 caninclude other features described above, such as a non-waisted fuselage,a pitch control surface between the nacelle 1818 and the fuselage 1802,and/or canards.

[0078] In other embodiments, the aircraft can have other inlet-over-wingconfigurations. For example, as shown in FIG. 19, an aircraft 1900 caninclude a fuselage 1902, a delta wing 1904 and a pair of nacelles 1918,each having an inlet 1920 mounted proximate to the upper surface 1938 ofthe wing 1904. The engines (not visible in FIG. 19) and exhaust nozzles1922 can be positioned at or above the wing upper surface 1938 and/orcan extend beneath the wing upper surface 1938 and/or beneath the winglower surface 1937. Each nacelle 1918 can include an inlet diverter orscoop 1921 to remove boundary layer air developed over the wing 1904forward of the inlet 1920. In one aspect of this embodiment, theboundary layer air can be directed to one portion of the engine. Theinlet 1920 can provide to another portion of the engine air that isgenerally free of the influences of the boundary layer. In an alternateembodiment, the inlet scoop 1921 can dump the boundary layer airoverboard, or can be supplemented with or replaced by an active boundarylayer control system that energizes and/or removes the inlet boundarylayer upstream of the inlet 1920. In one embodiment, an aircraft havinginlets and turbofan engines configured in a manner generally similar tothat shown in FIG. 19 can be suitable for cruise Mach numbers of fromabout 0.95 to about 0.98. Alternatively, an aircraft having such aninlet and turbofan engine configuration and be configured for cruiseMach numbers of about 1.2. In still further embodiments, the aircraftcan be configured for other cruise Mach numbers.

[0079] FIGS. 20A-20G are partially schematic illustrations of inletapertures that may be substituted for any of the inlet aperturesdescribed above with reference to FIGS. 2-19 in accordance with furtherembodiments of the invention. For example, FIG. 20A illustrates ahalf-round inlet aperture 2023 a. FIG. 20B illustrates a rectangularinlet aperture 2023 b. FIG. 20C illustrates a rectangular inlet aperture2023 c having a bifurcation 2027 for providing inlet air to a pluralityof engines from a single inlet aperture. FIG. 20D illustrates agenerally elliptical inlet aperture 2023 d offset from a wing lowersurface 2037 with a diverter 2028. In other embodiments, aspects of theinlet apertures shown in FIGS. 20A-20D and the foregoing and subsequentFigures can be combined. For example, the elliptical inlet aperture 2023d can include a bifurcation, and/or the rectangular inlet aperture 2023b can include a diverter.

[0080]FIG. 20E illustrates an inlet aperture 2023 e that is unswept andnon-scarfed (e.g., the sidewall edges of the inlet aperture are at leastapproximately vertical) in accordance with an embodiment of theinvention. FIG. 20F illustrates a scarfed inlet aperture 2023 f inaccordance with another embodiment of the invention. FIG. 20Gillustrates an inlet aperture 2023 g that is both scarfed and swept. Asdescribed above, various aspects of these inlet apertures may becombined in still further embodiments of the invention. The degree towhich the inlet ducts in any of the foregoing configurations are curvedin an S-shaped manner can vary depending on a variety of factors, suchas the landing gear height, the presence or absence of a diverter, thedegree of aircraft rotation on takeoff, and/or the point at which theinlet flow will separate from the curved walls of the inlet duct.

[0081]FIG. 21 is a partially schematic, isometric view of an aft portionof an aircraft 2100 having a nacelle 2118 in accordance with anotherembodiment of the invention. In one aspect of this embodiment, thenacelle 2118 can include an inlet 2120 having an inlet aperture 2123positioned beneath the wing 2104, and a generally S-shaped inlet duct2121 aft of the inlet aperture 2123, generally similar to the S-ductsdescribed above. In a further aspect of this embodiment, the inlet duct2121 can include one or more suck-in doors configured to increase airflow to the engine (not shown in FIG. 21) during low-speed, high-thrustoperation, such as at take-off. For example, the inlet duct 2121 caninclude suck-in doors 2129 a positioned on an upper surface of the inletduct 2121 forward of the engine. In another embodiment, the inlet duct2121 can include suck-in doors 2129 b on a lower surface of the inletduct 2121 in addition to, or in lieu of, the top-mounted suck-in doors2129 a. In still another embodiment, the nacelle 2118 can includesuck-in doors 2129 c on the inboard side surface of the inlet duct 2121(as shown in FIG. 21), or on the outboard side surface. In still furtherembodiments, the nacelle 2118 can include other suck-in doorconfigurations or other inlet airflow augmentation devices.

[0082]FIG. 22 is a partially schematic, isometric view of an aft portionof an aircraft 2200 having a fuselage 2202, a delta wing 2204, and threenacelles 2218 (shown as nacelles 2218 a-c) in accordance with anembodiment of the invention. In one aspect of this embodiment, first andsecond nacelles 2218 a and 2218 b can be positioned on opposite sides ofthe fuselage 2202, and a third nacelle 2218 c can be positioned betweenthe first and second nacelles 2218 a, 2218 b in alignment with afuselage axis 2203. In a further aspect of this embodiment, the thirdnacelle 2218 c can include an inlet aperture 2223 positioned above thefuselage 2202. The inlet aperture 2223 can be mounted flush with thefuselage 2202, or alternatively, the inlet aperture 2223 can be offsetfrom the fuselage 2202 with a diverter, as shown in FIG. 22. In eitherembodiment, the third nacelle 2218 c can have an S-shaped inlet duct toprovide air from the inlet aperture 2223 to an engine at least partiallyburied beneath an upper surface of the wing 2204 and/or the fuselage2202, in a manner generally similar to that described above withreference to FIG. 18. In a further aspect of this embodiment, theaircraft 2200 can include a single vertical tail 2230. In still anotheralternate embodiment, the first and second nacelles 2218 a, 2218 b canbe eliminated for a single-engine (or multiengine, single nacelle)configuration. Such a configuration may be suitable for a generalaviation aircraft, business jet, fighter, or ground attack aircraft.

[0083]FIG. 23 is a partially schematic, isometric view of an aft portionof an aircraft 2300 having a fuselage 2302, a delta wing 2304 and an aftbody 2314 with elevator surfaces 2342. The aircraft 2300 can furtherinclude two nacelles 2318 at least partially buried in the wing 2304,and two vertical tails 2330 positioned on booms 2331 to extend aft ofthe nacelles 2318, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Ina further aspect of this embodiment, the booms 2331 can be mountedoutboard of the nacelles 2318. Alternatively, the booms 2331 can bemounted inboard of the nacelles 2318 and outboard of the fuselage 2302.An advantage of positioning the vertical tails 2330 aft on the booms2331 is that they can provide increased control authority by providing agreater moment arm relative to the center of gravity of the aircraft2300.

[0084] In still further embodiments, selected components of the aircraftcan have a modular arrangement. For example, selected components of theaircraft can be combined with other components in a manner that dependson whether the aircraft is configured for subsonic or supersonic cruiseoperation. In one embodiment, the aircraft can have a generally fixedcabin, canard, tail, and inboard wing configuration that is common toboth a subsonic and supersonic aircraft. The outboard wing, the nose,and the nacelles can be selected for a given aircraft on the productionline (or substituted after the aircraft has been manufactured),depending upon whether the aircraft is intended for subsonic orsupersonic cruise. In one embodiment, the division between the inboardand outboard wings can coincide with the location of the nacelle. Inother embodiments, the division can have other locations. In eitherembodiment, an advantage of the modular construction feature is thatmany components (such as the cabin, canard, tails, and/or inboard wingsection) can be common to both subsonic and supersonic aircraft.Accordingly, both subsonic and supersonic aircraft can be moreefficiently manufactured and maintained.

[0085]FIG. 24 is a partially schematic, plan view of a modular aircraftconfiguration in accordance with another embodiment of the invention. Inone aspect of this embodiment, the aircraft 2400 can include a fuselage2402, a wing 2404, and canards 2428 configured for both supersonic andnear-sonic cruise Mach number operation. The aircraft 2400 can furtherinclude interchangeable nacelles 2418, configured for either near-sonicor supersonic cruise Mach number operation. In a further aspect of thisembodiment, the aircraft 2400 can include a near-sonic nose portion 2405a attached to the fuselage 2402 when the aircraft is configured fornear-sonic cruise Mach number operation, and a supersonic nose portion2405 b attached to the fuselage 2402 when the aircraft 2400 isconfigured for a supersonic cruise Mach number operation. A wing glove2404 a can be added to the wing 2404 when the aircraft 2400 isconfigured for supersonic operation. The wing glove 2404 a can also beadded to the wing 2404 when the near-sonic configuration of the aircraftis lengthened from a baseline configuration, for example when a fuselageplug 2402 a is added between forward and aft portions of the fuselage2402. In other embodiments, the aircraft 2400 can have other modularconfigurations that take advantage of features common to both thenear-sonic and supersonic versions of the aircraft.

[0086] From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that, althoughspecific embodiments of the invention have been described herein forpurposes of illustration, various modifications may be made withoutdeviating from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, manyof the features and components described above in the context of aparticular aircraft configuration can be incorporated into otheraircraft configurations in accordance with other embodiments of theinvention. Accordingly, the invention is not limited except as by theappended claims and/or by claims in applications that claim priority tothe present application.

What is claimed is: 1 An aircraft, comprising: a fuselage portionconfigured to carry a payload; a wing portion depending from thefuselage portion, the wing portion having a forward region with aleading edge and an aft region with a trailing edge, the wing portionfurther having an upper surface and a lower surface; a propulsion systemat least proximate to the aft region of the wing portion, with at leastpart of the propulsion system positioned between the upper and lowersurfaces of the wing portion, the propulsion system having at least oneinlet aperture positioned beneath the wing portion lower surface orabove the wing portion upper surface, at least one engine positioned aftof and vertically offset from the at least one inlet aperture, and atleast one exhaust nozzle aft of the at least one engine; and at leastone canard depending from the fuselage portion forward of the propulsionsystem. 2 The aircraft of claim 1 wherein the fuselage portion iselongated along a fuselage axis and wherein the propulsion systemincludes two inlet apertures, at least two engines, and two exhaustnozzles with one inlet aperture, at least one engine and one exhaustnozzle on one side of the fuselage portion and another inlet aperture,at least one other engine and another exhaust nozzle on the other sideof the fuselage portion, with the fuselage axis passing between the twoengines, and wherein the aircraft further comprises two generallyhorizontal control surfaces integrated with the aft region of the wingportion with one control surface positioned inboard of one exhaustnozzle and the other control surface positioned inboard of the otherexhaust nozzle. 3 The aircraft of claim 1 wherein the propulsion systemincludes a generally upwardly and rearwardly curving S-shaped ductbetween the at least one inlet aperture and the at least one engine. 4The aircraft of claim 1, further comprising moveable elevon surfaces atthe wing trailing edges. 5 The aircraft of claim 1 wherein the fuselageportion includes a forward end, an aft end, and an intermediate sectionforward of the propulsion system between the forward and aft ends, andwherein the fuselage portion tapers generally continuously andmonotonically from the forward end to the intermediate section andtapers generally continuously and monotonically from the intermediatesection to the aft end. 6 The aircraft of claim 1 wherein the exhaustnozzle is positioned aft of the wing trailing edge. 7 The aircraft ofclaim 1 wherein the inlet aperture is positioned aft of the wing leadingedge. 8 The aircraft of claim 1 wherein the fuselage portion includes aforwardmost point, an aftmost point, a tapering forward portionproximate to the forwardmost point, a tapering aft portion proximate toan aftmost point, and an intermediate portion between the forwardportion and the aft portion, the intermediate portion having a generallyconstant cross-sectional area. 9 The aircraft of claim 1 wherein thefuselage portion is configured to carry between about 10 and about 500passengers. 10 The aircraft of claim 1 wherein the wing portion and thepropulsion system are configured to operate at at least one sustainedcruise Mach number of from about 0.95 to about 0.99. 11 The aircraft ofclaim 1 wherein the fuselage portion has a modular construction with afirst nose portion configured for sustained subsonic flight up to aboutMach 0.99, the first nose portion being interchangeable with a secondnose portion configured for supersonic flight. 12 The aircraft of claim1 wherein the engine has a bypass ratio greater than about 1.0. 13 Theaircraft of claim 1 wherein the propulsion system includes a firstnacelle configured for sustained subsonic flight up to about Mach 0.99,the first nacelle being interchangeable with a second nacelle configuredfor sustained supersonic flight. 14 The aircraft of claim 1 wherein thewing portion and the propulsion system are configured to operate at atleast one sustained supersonic cruise Mach number of from about 1.5 toabout 3.0. 15 The aircraft of claim 1 wherein the fuselage is configuredfor a commercial passenger payload, a commercial cargo payload and/or abusiness jet payload. 16 The aircraft of claim 1 wherein the fuselage isconfigured for a military payload. 17 The aircraft of claim 1 whereinthe wing portion has a delta planform shape. 18 The aircraft of claim 1wherein the wing portion has a double-delta planform shape with a firstpart proximate to the fuselage having a first sweep angle and a secondpart outboard from the first part having a second sweep angle less thanthe first sweep angle. 19 The aircraft of claim 1 wherein the wingportion has projected frontal area and wherein at least a portion of theengine is positioned directly aft of the projected frontal area. 20 Theaircraft of claim 1 wherein the wing portion includes a fuel volumeconfigured to carry fuel for the propulsion system, and wherein theengine includes rotating components, further wherein all the rotatingcomponents of the engine are positioned aft of the fuel volume. 21 Theaircraft of claim 1 wherein the fuselage portion includes a pressurizedsection, and wherein the engine includes rotating components, furtherwherein all the rotating components of the engine are positioned aft ofthe pressurized section of the fuselage portion. 22 The aircraft ofclaim 1 wherein the propulsion system is configured to produce noiselevels no greater than from about 98.5 to about 102.5 dB at sideline andno greater than from about 92 to about 95 dB at throttle cutback. 23 Theaircraft of claim 1 wherein the combination of the fuselage portion, thewing portion and the propulsion system has a range of from about 2,000nautical miles to about 11,000 nautical miles. 24 The aircraft of claim1 wherein the fuselage has a circular cross-sectional shape. 25 Theaircraft of claim 1 wherein the fuselage has an ellipticalcross-sectional shape. 26 The aircraft of claim 1 wherein at least aportion of the engine is mounted aft of the wing trailing edge. 27 Theaircraft of claim 1 wherein the fuselage portion has a payload volumeand the engine is positioned aft of the payload volume. 28 The aircraftof claim 1 wherein the inlet aperture is positioned to provide intakeair to at least two engines. 29 The aircraft of claim 1 wherein thefuselage portion has a generally blunt nose configured for sustainedoperation at high subsonic cruise Mach numbers. 30 The aircraft of claim1 wherein the fuselage portion has a generally sharp nose configured forsustained operation at supersonic cruise Mach numbers. 31 The aircraftof claim 1 wherein the propulsion system includes a first engine on oneside of the fuselage portion and a second engine on the other side ofthe fuselage portion, and wherein the aircraft further comprises: afirst tail surface inclined relative to horizontal and coupled to theaircraft at approximately the same buttockline as the first engine; anda second tail surface inclined relative to horizontal and coupled to theaircraft at approximately the same buttockline as the second engine. 32The aircraft of claim 1, further comprising first and second tailsurfaces mounted on opposite sides of the fuselage portion, each tailsurface being canted inwardly relative to the fuselage portion, cantedoutwardly relative to the fuselage portion, or oriented generallyvertically relative to the fuselage portion. 33 The aircraft of claim 1wherein the wing leading edge has a sweep angle of from about 28 degreesto about 75 degrees. 34 The aircraft of claim 1 wherein the exhaustnozzle includes at least one moveable, vectorable nozzle surfaceconfigured to vector in a selected direction at least a portion of anexhaust stream emitted from the engine. 35 The aircraft of claim 1wherein the engine is the only primary engine. 36 The aircraft of claim1 wherein the engine is one of two, three or four primary engines. 37The aircraft of claim 1 wherein the fuselage portion is elongated alonga fuselage axis, and wherein the aircraft further comprises: a pitchcontrol surface between the at least one exhaust nozzle and the fuselageaxis; a canard depending from the fuselage portion; and an elevon at theaft region of the wing portion, and wherein the pitch control surface,the elevon and the canard are movable to control a pitch attitude and/ora lift of the aircraft. 38 An aircraft, comprising: a fuselage portionconfigured to carry a payload and elongated along a fuselage axis; awing portion depending from the fuselage portion, the wing portionhaving a forward region with a leading edge and an aft region with atrailing edge, the wing portion further having an upper surface and alower surface; a propulsion system at least proximate to the aft regionof the wing portion, the propulsion system having at least one inletaperture positioned beneath the wing portion lower surface or above thewing portion upper surface, at least one engine positioned aft of andvertically offset from the at least one inlet aperture, and at least oneexhaust nozzle aft of the at least one engine, the propulsion systemfurther including a generally S-shaped inlet duct between the inletaperture and the engine; and a pitch control surface having an afttrailing edge positioned inboard of the exhaust nozzle between theexhaust nozzle and the fuselage axis. 39 The aircraft of claim 38wherein the fuselage is elongated along a fuselage axis, and wherein thepropulsion system includes a first inlet aperture, a first engine and afirst exhaust nozzle all positioned on one side of the fuselage portion,and a second inlet aperture, a second engine and a second exhaust nozzleall positioned on an opposite side of the fuselage axis, and furtherwherein the pitch control surface includes a first portion positionedbetween the first exhaust nozzle and the fuselage axis and a secondportion positioned between the second exhaust nozzle and the fuselageaxis. 40 The aircraft of claim 38, further comprising: a canarddepending from the fuselage portion; and an elevon at the aft region ofthe wing portion, and wherein the pitch control surface, the elevon andthe canard are movable to control a pitch attitude and/or a lift of theaircraft. 41 The aircraft of claim 38 wherein the propulsion systemincludes a generally upwardly and rearwardly curving S-shaped ductbetween the at least one inlet aperture and the at least one engine. 42The aircraft of claim 38 wherein the inlet aperture is positioned aft ofthe wing leading edge. 43 The aircraft of claim 38 wherein the wingportion and the propulsion system are configured to operate at at leastone sustained cruise Mach number of from about 0.95 to about 0.99. 44The aircraft of claim 38 wherein the wing portion and the propulsionsystem are configured to operate at at least one sustained supersoniccruise Mach number of from about 1.5 to about 3.0. 45 The aircraft ofclaim 38 wherein the fuselage portion is configured for a commercialpassenger payload, a commercial cargo payload, and/or a business jetpayload. 46 The aircraft of claim 38 wherein the wing portion has adelta planform shape. 47 The aircraft of claim 38 wherein the fuselageportion includes a pressurized section, and wherein the engine includesrotating components, further wherein all the rotating components of theengine are positioned aft of the pressurized section of the fuselage. 48An aircraft, comprising: a fuselage portion configured to carry apayload; a wing portion depending from the fuselage portion, the wingportion having a forward region with a leading edge and an aft regionwith a trailing edge, the wing portion further having an upper surfaceand a lower surface; and a propulsion system mounted to the wingportion, the propulsion system having at least one inlet aperturepositioned at or above the wing portion upper surface and aft of thewing leading edge, at least one engine positioned aft of the at leastone inlet, and at least one exhaust nozzle aft of the at least oneengine, with at least a portion of the engine positioned between thewing portion upper surface and the wing portion lower surface. 49 Theaircraft of claim 48 wherein the fuselage portion is elongated along afuselage axis and wherein the propulsion system includes two inletapertures, at least two engines and two exhaust nozzles, with one inletaperture, at least one engine and one exhaust nozzle on one side of thefuselage portion and another inlet aperture, at least one other engineand another exhaust nozzle on the other side of the fuselage portion,with the fuselage axis passing between the two engines, and wherein theaircraft further comprises two generally horizontal control surfacesintegrated with the aft region of the wing portion with one controlsurface positioned inboard of one exhaust nozzle and the other controlsurface positioned inboard of the other exhaust nozzle. 50 The aircraftof claim 48 wherein the propulsion system includes a generallydownwardly and rearwardly curving S-shaped duct between the at least oneinlet aperture and the at least one engine. 51 The aircraft of claim 48wherein the wing portion and the propulsion system are configured tooperate at at least one sustained cruise Mach number of from about 0.95to about 0.99. 52 The aircraft of claim 48 wherein the wing portion andthe propulsion system are configured to operate at at least onesustained supersonic cruise Mach number of from about 1.5 to about 3.0.53 The aircraft of claim 48 wherein the wing portion includes a fuelvolume configured to carry fuel for the propulsion system, and whereinthe engine includes rotating components, further wherein all therotating components of the engine are positioned aft of the fuel volume.54 The aircraft of claim 48 wherein the fuselage portion includes apressurized section, and wherein the engine includes rotatingcomponents, further wherein all the rotating components of the engineare positioned aft of the pressurized section of the fuselage portion.55 The aircraft of claim 48 wherein the combination of the fuselageportion, the wing portion and the propulsion system has a range of fromabout 2,000 nautical miles to about 11,000 nautical miles. 56 Theaircraft of claim 48 wherein the fuselage portion is elongated along afuselage axis, and wherein the aircraft further comprises: a pitchcontrol surface between the at least one exhaust nozzle and the fuselageaxis; a canard depending from the fuselage portion; and an elevon at theaft region of the wing portion, and wherein the pitch control surface,the elevon and the canard are movable to control a pitch attitude and/ora lift of the aircraft. 57 An aircraft, comprising: a fuselage portionconfigured to carry a payload; a wing portion depending from thefuselage portion, the wing portion having a forward region with aleading edge and an aft region with a trailing edge, the wing portionfurther having an upper surface and a lower surface; and a propulsionsystem mounted to the wing portion, the propulsion system having atleast one inlet aperture positioned at or above the wing portion uppersurface and aft of the wing leading edge, at least one engine positionedaft of the at least one inlet, and at least one exhaust nozzle aft ofthe at least one engine, and wherein the propulsion system furtherincludes a first inlet duct spaced apart from the upper surface of thewing portion and in fluid communication with a first portion of theengine, the propulsion system still further including a second inletduct positioned between the first inlet duct and the upper surface ofthe wing portion, the second inlet duct being in fluid communicationwith a second portion of the engine. 58 The aircraft of claim 57 whereinat least a portion of the at least one engine is positioned between thewing portion upper surface and the wing portion lower surface. 59 Anaircraft, comprising: a fuselage portion configured to carry acommercial passenger and/or cargo payload; a wing portion depending fromthe fuselage portion, the wing portion having a leading edge, a trailingedge and an aft region proximate to the trailing edge, the wing portionfurther having an upper surface and a lower surface and being configuredfor sustained cruise operation at at least one Mach number in the rangeof from about 0.95 to about 0.99; and a propulsion system positioned atthe aft region of the wing portion and at least partially housed withinthe wing portion between the upper and lower surfaces of the wingportion, the propulsion system having at least one inlet aperturepositioned beneath the wing portion lower surface or above the wingportion upper surface and aft of the wing leading edge, at least oneengine positioned aft of and vertically offset from the at least oneinlet aperture, and at least one exhaust nozzle aft of the at least oneengine, the propulsion system being configured for sustained cruiseoperation at at least one Mach number in the range of from about 0.95 toabout 0.99. 60 The aircraft of claim 59 wherein the propulsion systemincludes two inlet apertures, at least two engines and two exhaustnozzles with one inlet aperture, at least one engine and one exhaustnozzle on one side of the fuselage portion and another inlet aperture,at least one other engine and another exhaust nozzle on the other sideof the fuselage portion, with the fuselage portion passing between thetwo engines, and wherein the aircraft further comprises two generallyhorizontal control surfaces integrated with the aft region of the wingportion with one control surface positioned inboard of one exhaustnozzle and the other control surface positioned inboard of the otherexhaust nozzle. 61 The aircraft of claim 59 wherein the propulsionsystem includes a generally upwardly and rearwardly curving S-shapedduct between the at least one inlet aperture and the at least oneengine. 62 The aircraft of claim 59 wherein the fuselage portion iselongated along a fuselage axis and wherein the aircraft furthercomprises: a pitch control surface between the at least one exhaustnozzle and the fuselage axis; a canard depending from the fuselageportion; and an elevon at the aft region of the wing portion, andwherein the pitch control surface, the elevon and the canard are movableto control a pitch attitude and/or lift of the aircraft. 63 The aircraftof claim 59 wherein the fuselage portion includes an aft region thattapers in an aft direction, and wherein the propulsion system is axiallyproximate to the aft region of the fuselage portion. 64 A commercialtransport aircraft, comprising: a fuselage portion configured to carry acommercial payload, the fuselage portion having a forwardmost point, anaftmost point and an intermediate region between the forwardmost pointand the aftmost point, the fuselage portion further having across-sectional area distribution that increases generally monotonicallyfrom the forwardmost point to the intermediate region, is constant inthe intermediate region, and decreases generally monotonically from theintermediate region to the aftmost point; a wing portion depending fromthe fuselage portion, the wing portion having a forward region with aleading edge, the wing portion further having an aft region with atrailing edge; and a propulsion system integrally mounted to the aftregion of the wing, the propulsion system having at least one inletaperture positioned below the wing and aft of the wing leading edge, atleast one engine positioned aft of and above the at least one inletaperture, and at least one exhaust nozzle aft of the at least oneengine, the propulsion system further including a generally S-shapedinlet duct forward of the engine, the propulsion system being configuredto operate at sustained cruise Mach numbers of from about 0.95 to about0.99. 65 The aircraft of claim 64 wherein a combined cross-sectionalarea distribution of the fuselage portion, the wing portion and thepropulsion system increases generally monotonically from the forwardmostpoint of the fuselage portion to the intermediate region of the fuselageportion and decreases generally monotonically from the intermediateregion of the fuselage portion to the aftmost point of the fuselage. 66A near-sonic commercial transport aircraft, comprising: a fuselageportion configured to carry a commercial payload, the fuselage portionhaving a forwardmost point, an aftmost point, and an intermediate regionbetween the forwardmost point and the aftmost point, the forwardmostpoint forming a potion of a generally blunt nose configured for highsubsonic cruise Mach numbers, the fuselage portion having across-sectional area distribution that increases generally monotonicallyfrom the forwardmost point to the intermediate region, remainsapproximately constant in the intermediate region, and decreasesgenerally monotonically from the intermediate region to the aftmostpoint; a delta-shaped wing portion depending from the fuselage portion,the wing portion having a forward region with a leading edge and an aftregion with a trailing edge, the leading edge including an inboardportion having a first sweep angle and an outboard portion having asecond sweep angle less than the first sweep angle; and a propulsionsystem integrally mounted to the aft region of the wing and configuredto operate at a sustained cruise Mach number of from about 0.95 to about0.99, the propulsion system including a first nacelle on one side of thefuselage portion and a second nacelle on the other side of the fuselageportion, each nacelle including: an inlet aperture positioned below thewing and aft of the wing leading edge; an engine positioned aft of andabove the inlet aperture, the engine having a bypass ratio of at leastabout 1.0, at least a portion of the engine being positioned aft of thewing trailing edge; a generally S-shaped, upwardly and rearwardlycurving inlet duct positioned between the inlet aperture and the engine;and an exhaust nozzle positioned aft of the engine 67 The aircraft ofclaim 66 wherein the exhaust nozzle include at least one movable flowsurface to vector exhaust gases expelled by the engine. 68 The aircraftof claim 66 wherein the engine has a bypass ratio of from about 5.0 toabout 7.0. 69 The aircraft of claim 66 wherein each engine is configuredto produce a thrust of from about 75,000 pounds to about 100,000 pounds.70 A modular aircraft system, comprising: a fuselage portion having apayload section; a swept wing portion depending from the fuselageportion and having an upper surface and a lower surface; first andsecond nose portions interchangeably positionable on the fuselageportion, the first nose portion being configured for subsonic flight upto about Mach 0.99, the second nose portion being configured forsupersonic flight; and first and second nacelles interchangeablycoupleable to an aft part of the wing portion, the first nacelle beingconfigured for subsonic flight up to about Mach 0.99, the second nacellebeing configured for supersonic flight. 71 The aircraft system of claim70 wherein each of the first and second nacelles includes an inletaperture positioned above the upper surface of the wing portion or belowthe lower surface of the wing portion, each nacelle further including anengine positioned between the upper surface and the lower surface, andan S-shaped inlet duct between the engine and the inlet aperture. 72 Theaircraft system of claim 70, further comprising a pitch control surfacebetween the fuselage portion and either the first nacelle or the secondnacelle. 73 The aircraft of claim 70, further comprising a canarddepending from the fuselage portion. 74 The aircraft of claim 70,further comprising a wing glove positioned between the fuselage portionand the wing portion when the second nacelle is coupled to the aftportion of the wing portion. 75 The aircraft of claim 70 furthercomprising: a fuselage plug positionable between first and secondsections of the fuselage portion to lengthen the fuselage portion; and awing glove positioned between the fuselage plug and the wing portionwhen the fuselage plug is positioned between the first and secondsections of the fuselage portion. 76 A modular aircraft system,comprising: a fuselage portion having a payload section; a canarddepending from the fuselage portion; an inboard wing portion dependingfrom the fuselage portion; a tail depending from at least one of theinboard wing portion and the fuselage portion; first and second noseportions interchangeably positionable on the fuselage portion, the firstnose portion being configured for subsonic flight up to about Mach 0.99,the second nose portion being configured for supersonic flight; firstand second outboard wing portions interchangeably positionable on theinboard wing portion, the first outboard wing portion being configuredfor subsonic flight up to about Mach 0.99, the second outboard wingportion being configured for supersonic flight; and first and secondnacelles interchangeably positionable on an aft portion of the firstand/or the second wing portion, the first nacelle being configured forsubsonic flight up to about Mach 0.99, the second nacelle beingconfigured for supersonic flight. 77 The aircraft of claim 76 furthercomprising: a fuselage plug positionable between first and secondsections of the fuselage portion to lengthen the fuselage portion; and awing glove positioned between the fuselage plug and the wing portionwhen the fuselage plug is positioned between the first and secondsections of the fuselage portion. 78 A method for manufacturing anaircraft, comprising: attaching a wing portion to a fuselage portion,the wing portion having a forward region with a leading edge, an aftregion with a trailing edge, the wing portion further having an uppersurface and a lower surface, the fuselage portion being configured tocarry a payload, the fuselage portion being elongated along a fuselageaxis; coupling a propulsion system to the wing portion by mounting thepropulsion system to the aft region of the wing portion and positioningat least part of the propulsion system between the upper and lowersurfaces of the wing portion, the propulsion system including at leastone inlet aperture positioned beneath the lower surface of the wingportion or above the upper surface of the wing portion, the propulsionsystem further including at least one turbofan engine positioned aft ofand vertically offset from the at least one inlet aperture, at least oneexhaust nozzle aft of the at least one engine, and a generally S-shapedduct between the at least one engine and the at least one inletaperture; and positioning a pitch control surface between the propulsionsystem and the fuselage axis, or attaching a canard to the fuselageportion. 79 The method of claim 78 wherein the propulsion systemincludes two inlet apertures, at least two engines and two exhaustnozzles, and wherein coupling the propulsion system includes positioningone inlet aperture, at least one engine and one exhaust nozzle on oneside of the fuselage portion and positioning another inlet aperture, atleast one other engine and another exhaust nozzle on the other side ofthe fuselage portion with the fuselage portion passing between the twoengines, and wherein the method further comprises integrating twogenerally horizontal control surfaces with the aft region of the wingportion with one control surface positioned inboard of one exhaustnozzle and the other control surface positioned inboard of the otherexhaust nozzle. 80 The method of claim 78, further comprising coupling agenerally upwardly and rearwardly curving S-shaped duct between the atleast one inlet aperture and the at least one engine. 81 The method ofclaim 78, further comprising positioning the inlet aperture aft of thewing leading edge. 82 The method of claim 78 wherein the fuselageportion includes a forwardmost point and an aftmost point, and whereinthe method further comprises tapering a forward section of the fuselageportion proximate to the forwardmost point, tapering an aft section ofthe fuselage portion proximate to an aftmost point, and providing anintermediate section between the forward portion and the aft portion,the intermediate section having a generally constant cross-sectionalarea. 83 The method of claim 78, further comprising configuring the wingportion and the propulsion system to operate at at least one sustainedcruise Mach number of from about 0.95 to about 0.99. 84 The method ofclaim 78, further comprising configuring the wing portion and thepropulsion system to operate at a sustained supersonic cruise Machnumber of from about 1.5 to about 3.0. 85 The method of claim 78 whereinthe wing portion includes a fuel volume configured to carry fuel for thepropulsion system, and wherein the engine includes rotating components,and wherein the method further includes positioning all the rotatingcomponents of the engine aft of the fuel volume. 86 The method of claim78 wherein the fuselage portion includes a pressurized section, andwherein the engine includes rotating components, and wherein the methodfurther comprises positioning all the rotating components of the engineaft of the pressurized section of the fuselage portion. 87 The method ofclaim 78, further comprising providing the fuselage portion with acircular cross-sectional shape. 88 The method of claim 78, furthercomprising positioning the inlet aperture to provide intake air to atleast two engines. 89 The method of claim 78, further comprising:positioning a pitch control surface between the at least one exhaustnozzle and the fuselage axis; coupling a canard to the fuselage portion;and providing an elevon at the aft region of the wing portion, whereinthe pitch control surface, the elevon and the canard are movable tocontrol a pitch attitude and/or lift of the aircraft. 90 The method ofclaim 78 wherein the engine includes a first portion and a secondportion, and wherein the inlet duct is a first inlet duct, and whereinthe method further comprises: positioning the inlet aperture of thepropulsion system above the upper surface of the wing portion;positioning the first inlet duct apart from the upper surface of thewing portion and in fluid communication with the first portion of theengine; and positioning a second inlet duct between the first inlet ductand the upper surface of the wing portion, the second inlet duct beingin fluid communication with the second portion of the engine.